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Hartford's St. Patrick's Day Parade Steps Off Saturday At 11 A.M.

By JENNA CARLESSO

March 08, 2012

HARTFORD ——

About 65,000 people are expected to fill the streets near the state Capitol Saturday to watch the city's 41st annualSt. Patrick's Day Parade.

Four thousand marchers, including 24 musical groups will participate in the parade, said Elizabeth Saunders, chairwoman of the Central Connecticut Celtic Cultural Committee, which organizes the event.

Several cities and towns have supported the parade by holding fundraisers, she said, including Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Newington, Manchester, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Vernon, South Windsor and Montville. Officials from those cities and towns are also expected to march in the parade

Musical groups include the Connecticut Firefighters Pipe Band, the Springfield and Worcester Kiltie Pipe Bands, St. Peter's Bugle Corps and several high school and middle school marching bands.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at the Capitol, progressing down Capitol Avenue onto Main Street, Asylum Street and Ford Street before finishing at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch on Trinity Street.

The cultural committee named Sister Peggy Evans, a teacher and administrator at East Catholic High School in Manchester, as this year's grand marshal and WFSB news anchor Irene O'Connor as person of the year.

Saunders said the parade is funded solely by the participating cities and towns.

The Hartford Parking Authority is offering $4 parking at its Morgan Street Garage and $10 parking at its Church Street or MAT (Main and Trumbull streets) garages on Saturday.

The following city streets will be closed from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Capitol Avenue between Main and Broad streets, Main Street between Capitol Avenue and Church Street, Asylum Street between Main and Spruce streets, Ford Street to Trinity Street, Trinity Street between Ford Street and Capitol Avenue, and Conlin Whitehead Highway at the Columbus Boulevard exit.

FOX CT will broadcast the Hartford parade live from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m Saturday. The parade will be rebroadcast by Fox CT on Saturday, March 17 — St. Patrick's Day — from 1 to 3 p.m.

The New Haven St. Patrick's Day Parade will be broadcast live on WCCT from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. It will be rebroadcast on Saturday, March 17, from 3 to 5 pm on Fox CT.

For St. Patrick's Day photos, parade video, route maps and parking information, go to ctnow.com/stpatricksday. You may also enter the Irish Pride contest by submitting your own photos at ctnow.com/irishpride.